Showing Love in a Colorful Way!

It’s always exciting when we get the chance to feature crafters whom we follow on social media! It’s like meeting our very own celebrities! We proudly introduce Courtney the sweet shop owner of Lovey Dovey on Etsy! Enjoy everyone!!!

Building Bridges: Tell us a little bit about you, your family, and what you like to do for fun!

Courtney: My name is Courtney and I am the owner of Lovey Dovey Shop on Etsy.com! Yarn wreaths are the main focus in my shop but I also sell decoupage wooden gift tags and clothespin magnets! I am married to a wonderful guy named Eric! We have been married for 4 years! I am originally from North Carolina, but I live in Washington state. I’m a southern girl at heart!

I love crafting & DIY projects. I love being creative, and I love bright colors & flowers!

I started making wreaths as a Christmas gifts for my family. I just stumbled across a DIY wreath project, and tried it out. I had so much fun making them, and the creative possibilities were endless! I started doing more research and experimented with new ideas. Making wreaths is something that I absolutely love doing!

Building Bridges: What other hobbies do you have?

Courtney: I enjoy hiking and visiting waterfalls. I also love to cook and bake.

Building Bridges: Why did you choose the name of your business? Is there a special meaning behind it?

Courtney: I have a friend who always calls me “Lovey” because every time I addressed my friends & family I would say “Hi love!” or “How are you doing, love?”. So while I was trying to figure out a name for my shop, I thought why not refer to my products as things that I love….so I took my nickname and came up with Lovey Dovey!

Building Bridges: Why did you decide to open your shop and why sell on Etsy.com?

Courtney: I wanted to share my creativity with others. I wanted people to love my handmade items just as much as I loved making them. A friend of mine opened a shop up on Etsy a while back. She was posting pictures with links, and I was curious and checked it out. After spending hours on the website, I fell in love! It was the perfect place for me!

Building Bridges: Did someone encourage you to start a business?

Courtney: I spoke with my friend a lot about opening my own shop, and she encouraged me to do it. She shared a lot of information with me that was very useful and I took the big step of opening my shop! I also had a great support system from my husband and my family!

Building Bridges: When did your shop officially open & do you remember the first sale you ever had?

Courtney: My shop opened in March of 2012 but I started to get really serious about it in mid 2013. My first sale was a Stars & Stripe Wreath made for 4^th of July.

          
Building Bridges: Do you have any shop promo discounts, if so when do they end?

Courtney: I do run promos every month so be sure to check out my Instagram or Facebook for special coupon codes! I also include a ‘Thank You’ coupon code when you place an order with my shop!

Building Bridges: Why make handmade products?

Courtney: Handmade products are truly the best. A lot of time and love goes into each product, and to me that’s a better quality of an item than something you can buy in a big box store. Plus, a lot of handmade shops (INCLUDING ME) do custom orders so you can get something exactly how you want it, which is even better!

Building Bridges: What do you love or hate about selling?

Courtney: I love knowing that my products can bring a smile to someone’s face. It feels so awesome that someone out there chose MY handmade product over a big box store, online stores, or hundreds of other similar items on Etsy.

Building Bridges: What is your favorite part about owning your own business?

Courtney: My favorite part about owning my own business will be the fact that I can create ANYTHING I want and as much as I want!

Building Bridges: Do you have a product that you prefer to design/create over others?

Courtney: I can make any wreath you’d like but I love making yarn wreaths with felt flowers. The possibilities are endless with yarn colors and felt colors. I can make just about any color combination you can think of! I love making the decoupage wooden tags as oppose to the sticker label kind or the paper kind. The wooden tags are sturdy and easy to decoupage with any kind of paper!

Building Bridges: Do you have any advice for other crafters who would like to start selling their creations?

Courtney: My advice for other crafters would be: Don’t give up on yourself! I will admit that I didn’t make my first sale until 2 months after I opened. Success doesn’t happen overnight, so do not give up! Make sure to keep doing research and reading up on Etsy articles & blogs for tips on how to build your business & be successful!

Building Bridges: Best advice you received when you went into business for yourself?

Courtney: My best advice I received: Express Yourself! This is YOUR shop. The items should reflect YOU! I definitely followed this advice!

Building Bridges: We love to attend craft and vendor markets - do you?

Courtney: I love going to craft fairs! I am participating in my very first craft fair later this month!

Building Bridges: Did you always see yourself becoming an entrepreneur?

Courtney: Surprisingly, yes! I always wanted to learn about running a business and having something as my own. I always thought it would be fun!

Building Bridges: What is your most popular product on the market right now?

Courtney: Definitely the wreaths!

Building Bridges: What is the favorite item you make and why?

Courtney: My favorite item is a recent flower design that I learned to make. I love anemone flowers, so I researched a way to make them using felt! I takes some time to make, but I love it!

Building Bridges: What is a typical day like when you are crafting?

Courtney: Jamming to my iPod, a cup of coffee by my side, and lots of focus!

Building Bridges: Do you have any giveaways running right now?

Courtney: I will have one soon! I just reached over 200 followers on Instagram which calls for a special giveaway! Stay tuned!

Building Bridges: Tell us anything extra you would like to be added to your feature.

Courtney: I am truly addicted to Pinterest! I would like to invite anyone & everyone to follow me! I want to share all of the things that inspire me! My pinner ID is Courtney_0228

Courtney resides in Tacoma, Washington with her husband. She continues to create beautiful products for her shop on Etsy! Check out her colorful shop, and follow her on Instagram @lovey_dovey_shop & Facebook for sneak peeks and special codes!
Courtney can best be reached through a message on Etsy or email her at loveydoveywreaths@yahoo.com. She LOVES custom orders so be sure to inquire with some of your ideas!! Thanks for sharing your shop with us Courtney! It has been great following you on social media and we look forward to doing it for a long time to come! Happy Crafting to all you shop owners out there!